Public perceptions of the veterinary nurse

From support staff to a regulated professional, the veterinary nurse's (VN) role has dramatically evolved since its formation (Ackerman, 2012). Development of the profession has brought about law and legislation changes, including the introduction of Schedule 3 of The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, specifying tasks and professional responsibilities the VN is permitted to legally carry out. Despite advancements in training, registration, and regulations, the author believes there is a lack of public awareness and recognition of the VN's role.

According to the RCVS Survey of the Veterinary Nursing Profession (Robinson et al, 2019), 41% of the 4993 respondents claimed that more respect and recognition from the public would make the VN profession a better place to work. The RCVS survey also identified a lack of public recognition and respect of VNs, with 31% of respondents identifying this as one of the main challenges facing the VN profession (Robinson et al, 2019). The public are often uninformed of the VN's role and contributions to animal care, sometimes mistaking VNs for ‘mini vets’ (Maryniak, 2005; Ackerman, 2012), unaware of the training and qualification involved (Deamer, 2018). Waters (2019) proposed that veterinary surgeons should promote VNs as their co-professionals to clients and to those who may perceive the VN as little more than a glorified cleaner because of underutilisation of VNs. Clients may be unaware of the difference between a VN and a registered VN (RVN) because of a lack of knowledge surrounding the veterinary nursing qualification and registration. The appropriate title must be used for registered and non-registered staff to ensure public clarity (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2012; Kernot, 2016).